HEADLEY SUBJECT OF TRADE RUMORS

Chase Headley remembers the mood around the Padres clubhouse last July 31.

It was the morning of the trade deadline and nearly every media outlet had someone in the Padres clubhouse shadowing Heath Bell’s every move.

But when the news finally came, all the speculation regarding Bell being traded proved false. It was Mike Adams leaving town.

Just more than 11 months later, speculation is growing again regarding the Padres and what parts might be culled by those teams in pennant races.

Among Padres names mentioned as being attractive to other teams this season are starting pitchers Edinson Volquez and Clayton Richard; outfielders Carlos Quentin, Mark Kotsay and Chris Denborfia and closer Huston Street.

But there is one name attracting more interest than others — Chase Headley.

At least seven teams have contacted Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes regarding the switch-hitting third baseman. The teams mentioned most often are the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks.

“It’s hard not to be aware of the rumors,” Headley said Friday afternoon. “But I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I’ve asked my agent not to even talk about it. I have no say. What happens is out of my hands.”

Just past the midpoint of the season, Headley leads the Padres in home runs (eight) and RBI (42). He is hitting .271 and currently riding his second double-figure hitting streak of the season. He has five hitting streaks this season of 10 games or more. Other teams also covet Headley for his defense.

So why would the Padres trade a 28-year-old approaching his prime?

Headley is making $3.475 million this season. He is eligible for arbitration again next winter. And he’s a free agent following the 2014 season. Plus, there is the matter of 23-year-old third baseman Jedd Gyorko, who is hitting .350 for Triple-A Tucson with 12 homers in just 47 games since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio.

Byrnes admits the Padres have had “dialogue” with others teams regarding Headley and other players. But the Padres also have been playing better recently. And the new owners might eventually want a say in who goes and who stays.

“This is not a roster we want to destroy and start over,” said Byrnes. “We like the parts.”

Which is not to say the right trade — or steal — could benefit the Padres. “We’ll listen,” said Byrnes. “But we don’t have to do anything.”

Given the injury status of the rotation, the Padres are unlikely to move Volquez or Richard unless two or three disabled starting pitchers get very healthy over the next three weeks.

Moving Street (who has an option for 2013) and Quentin (who is a free agent at the end of the season) might come down to what the Padres could get. Besides, new owners might decide Quentin, a native of San Diego County, is a more valuable as a building block than trade bait.

What are the odds?

The Padres tied a major league record Thursday night with Logan Forsythe’s game-tying, pinch-hit homer.

It was the Padres’ third pinch-hit homer in as many games. Jesus Guzman hit his second pinch-hit homer of the season Tuesday night in Arizona. Yasmani Grandal connected Wednesday night. Then Forsythe.

The 1984 Dodgers were the first team to have pinch-hit homers in three straight games. It didn’t happen again until Thursday night — when both the Padres and Miami Marlins accomplished the feat.

Notable

• Right-hander Jason Marquis will start Sunday afternoon’s last game before the All-Star break on three days’ rest. He got the call over Ross Ohlendorf.

• The MRI on right-hander Andrew Cashner proved exactly what the Padres expected — a strain in the lower section of the right latissimus dorsi muscle. Cashner is expected to miss around a month.

• Left-handed starter Eric Stults (strained left latissimus dorsi muscle) will throw 30 to 40 pitches Saturday in a simulated game before starting a rehab assignment with Tucson. He has been out since June 6.